Sergey Lavrov, the acting Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, was warmly received at Phuket International Airport by a welcoming committee spearheaded by Amnuay Pinsuwan, Phuket’s Vice Governor.
Lavrov’s visit is labelled by expectation as he lands on Thai soil to inaugurate the already functioning Russian consulate at Boat Lagoon in Koh Kaew, despite the absence of further details about his trip. His tenure as Foreign Minister, dating back to 2004, crowns him the longest-serving diplomat since the Tsarist times, even outliving any Soviet-era foreign minister’s terms.
His presence on the Thai island traces back to an apparent surge in the influx of Russian tourists and residents making themselves home in Phuket. As stated by the Ministry of Tourism & Sports, within the span of the first five months of this year, Thailand has received…
